Singer-songwriter Danny Vaughn is back, now under his own name instead of the project he did a few years ago called From the Inside which was also on Frontiers Records. Earlier in his career, Danny Vaughn was the lead singer in Tyketto. More info about that album and Danny Vaughn can be found in the database on the main page.

In this album he features a number of well-known musicians, including Tony (Contagious), Steve (Ten), Pat (Brave New World), and Lee (Paradise Lost). Vaughn wanted to feature two guitarists in order to create a fatter guitar sound and heavy duels, which is something I don’t hear much of to be honest. In fact, there are three guitarists including Vaughn, but it’s quite hard to hear all three.

Melodic rock is Vaughn’s thing and that’s something this album is full of; high-class melodic rock, to be more exact. The album is full of faster melodic rock anthems, semi-acoustical ballads, and up-tempo songs too. Because of the large variety of the musical styles and high-class material, the 1 hour playing time doesn’t feel that long. Every track keeps a high standard and emanates Vaughn’s genuine craftsmanship. Vaughn also wrote all of the songs by himself as well.

One track that really impresses me is “Miracle Days”, which is the opening track that starts off with a longer intro before the melodic rock song kicks off. The song is guitar-based and the focus is put on Vaughn’s amazing lead vocals. Then we have “Badlands Rain”, which is a heavier guitar-based song. It has a really edgy guitar solo in the middle and it sounds like Pat and Tony share the lead parts. Other kick ass songs are the title track “Traveler”, “Restless Blood”, and “The Warrior’s Way”, all of which are faster melodic rock songs. The acoustic songs “That’s What She Says”, “The Measure Of A Man”, and “Better By Far” are also worth mentioning as they are the golden moments of the album. These songs have similarities with a few of Bruce Springsteen’s rockier songs. The ballads “The Touch of Your Hand” and “Think of Me in the Fall” are also highlights. As you can see, almost every track on the album is a highlight or potential radio hit.

The year has only just begun, and Frontiers Records have already released one of the best albums in its genre. I have listened to it for days now and I have yet to become bored of it. It’s a high-quality melodic rock album that really deserves recognition by a larger crowd. In fact, this is an album that gets even better for every time I listen to it, meriting a really high rating. The only thing that I have against the album is the cover, which has Indians on it. It reflects absolutely nothing about the music, so hopefully it doesn’t get lost in the constant flood of releases from Frontiers and all the other labels, because this album really deserves the best.